Mourning Nóirín Plunkett

It’s been a sad day for many of us in the Geek Feminism community, as we process the news of Nóirín Plunkett’s passing.

Nóirín was a powerful force for positive change. We have lost a tremendous collaborator and friend, and they will be deeply missed.

Words are challenging in the face of a loss like this one; many thanks to those who have written in memoriam of Nóirín thus far.

The Apache Foundation: “Nóirín was an Apache httpd contributor, ASF board member, VP and ApacheCon organizer. Nóirín’s passionate contributions and warm personality will be sorely missed. Many considered Nóirín a friend and viewed Nóirín’s work to improving ‘Women in Technology’ as a great contribution to this cause.”

The Ada Initiative: “Nóirín will be remembered as a leading open source contributor; brilliant and compassionate and welcoming and funny. They were a long time leader in the Apache Software Foundation community, and a gifted speaker and documentation writer. Nóirín was key to the creation of the Ada Initiative in more ways than one. Since then they made invaluable contributions to the Ada Initiative as an advisor since February 2011, and a project manager in 2014. We are more grateful than we can say.”

Sumana Harihareswara: “When I was volunteering on the search for the Ada Initiative’s new Executive Director, I worked closely with Nóirín and could always count on their wisdom, compassion, and diligence. I am so grateful, now, that I had a chance to collaborate with them — I had hoped to work with them again, someday, in some organization or other. One of the last times I saw them, they were crying with happiness over the passage of the Irish same-sex marriage referendum. I don’t want to end this entry because there is no ending that can do justice to them.”

Rich Bowen: “Nóirín’s motto was Festina Lente – Hasten Slowly, and this embodies their approach to life. They considered things carefully, and rushed to get things done, because life is too short to get everything accomplished that we put our minds to. In the end, theirs was far, far too short.”